Nov. 24, 2012
Twenty-six teams, 101 students, 20 high schools display conservation knowledge
ELMDALE — On Nov. 3, the 13th Annual State Finals ECO-Meet competition was held at Camp Wood YMCA facility near Elmdale. The event was held in the Flint Hills, making for a great day of competition. The event proved to be an exciting, hard-fought contest, with the following results posted:

Overall Team Competition

• First Place — Maize High School Team B, Ana Fornoza, Deanna Hazelton, Samm Nguyen, Zac Thiessen, and team coach Jay Super — $300 student scholarships;
• Second Place — St. Mary’s-Colgan High School of Pittsburg, Hayden Compton, Ben Cortes, Joe Otter, Taylor Thomas, and team coach Donna Maus — $200 student scholarships; and
• Third Place — Maize High School Team A, Luke Bartz, Maureen McCafferty, Shannon Nelson, Kris Super, and team coach Jay Super — $100 student scholarships.

Individual Events

• Ornithology — First Place, Stephen DeHart, Olathe South High School, $200 scholarship — Second Place, Blake Bradford, Clay Center High School, $100 scholarship; and
• Woodlands Ecosystem — First Place, Stephen DeHart, Olathe South High School, $200 scholarship — Second Place, Shannon Nelson, Maize High School, $100 scholarship.

Twenty-six teams consisting of 101 students from 20 high schools across the state competed. An additional seven students qualified as individuals from five other schools in the two test events. Nine regional qualifying competitions determined representatives from across the state. Regional locations were Wilson Reservoir in Russell County, the Sternberg Museum in Hays, the Milford Nature Center near Junction City, the Lakewood Discovery Center in Salina, the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, the Dillon Nature Center in Hutchinson, Prairie Park Nature Center in Lawrence, the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush, and the Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe. The Kansas ECO-meet committee is considering at least two new locations for 2012 to host regional competitions.

Sponsors of the Kansas ECO-Meet include the Kansas Wildscape Foundation; the Kansas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Simpson Farm Enterprises of Ransom, Superior/Essex of Hoisington, Barton Community College of Great Bend, Friends of Milford Nature Center, Mid-America Awards of Salina, Goodwin Sporting Goods of Hays, and the Wildlife Education Service Section of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

To view the results from all regional events and the state competition or for more information about the Kansas ECO-Meet, go online to www.kansasecomeet.org, email Mike Rader at mike.rader@ksoutdoors.com or phone 620-672-0708.
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